Prologue

[PROLOGUE]

Pontifex Maximus, the ruler of the Theocracy. The Six Cardinals were those who held the most power in their faction. The leaders of the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches. The Director of the Research Institute was in charge of magical research and development. The Grand Marshal was another name for the Commander in Chief. The twelve members of the executive branch of the Theocracy were gathered here. This was where the highest authorities of the Theocracy met to set the general course of the nation. It was neither spacious nor opulent, and everyone there wore a solemn expression. Of course, given the circumstances, not many people would be overjoyed. The assembly was made up of people who would consider each other as fellow countrymen, and they were familiar enough with each other to allow for some lightheartedness from time to time. In other words, the mood among them used to be much more cheerful, but not now. The very air in the room seemed to be frozen.

“The Sorcerous Kingdom had begun its invasion of the Kingdom, or perhaps more accurately, it had begun much earlier. The Sorcerous Kingdom is absolutely frightening; for a whole month, the Kingdom had no idea what they were up to. The Scriptures of Windflower and Clearwater, which served as our eyes and ears, are no longer effective. We might have discovered it sooner if it hadn't been for the Thousand Leagues Astrologer... it is reasonable to conclude that the fate of the Kingdom is sealed. We don't have much time, so we should start looking for some adventurers as soon as possible.”

“We are already actively in the recruiting process.”

Raymond Zarg Lauransan, Cardinal of Earth, replied.

“Isn't it a waste to let the Sorcerous Kingdom plunder the magical items of that country? Especially the treasures of the Kingdom. The Amulet of Immortality, the Guardian Armor, the Gauntlets of Vitality, and...”

Said the Research Director, counting up his fingers to emphasize the importance of the last item...

“Razor Edge...”

“There is nothing we can do about that. We have a limited number of people we can send. Even our own people within the Kingdom are unlikely to survive.”

“The Sorcerous Kingdom will soon be at our doorstep... Since the Warrior Captain was killed in battle, has his replacement, Ung-lo? Has he taken up the mantle yet?”

In response to the Grand Marshal's question, the Director of Research replied:

“Yes, it would be best if we could extract him along with those items. He shouldn't be the type to flee to his death, should he? We may irritate him at first, but he will soon be grateful.”

“Based on our investigation, he is not the type to do that.”

One of only two women on the Executive Committee was Berenice, the Cardinal of Fire.

“You have a favorable opinion of him.”

The other woman, the head of the Judiciary, smiled.

“Wow, not only does our Cardinal praise the gentleman, but she also diagnoses him with avoidant personality disorder.”

“So he's just like that Warrior Captain... But first, let us look at the big picture. We fundamentally cannot understand the minds of people who allow themselves to be controlled by such irrational emotions.”

He felt the need to back off because a few people were staring at the head of the Legislature as he spoke.

“Please accept my apologies if I have been too harsh. However, in my opinion, such a reckless disregard for life is a terrible mentality to have when considering the future of humanity. I will maintain my position no matter who opposes it.”

“He said nothing false.”

Dominic Ihre Partouche, the Cardinal of Wind and one of those who had glared earlier, said these words.

“But just as there are lines that we would never cross, there are lines that he crosses as well.”

“Does Guelfi-sensei agree with this?”

Asked the Director of Research, not at all convinced. Ginedine Delan Guelfi, the Cardinal of Water—an elderly man with the appearance of a dried log—nodded in agreement.

“Then I won't ask any more questions about it.”

“While I am glad to see that so many talented people have come to our country, I wonder what is going on with them?”

Several groups of adventurers had already arrived in Theocracy. Not only were the new extras of Mythril rank or higher, but the intelligence of the Clearwater Scripture indicated that many of them had even greater potential.

“They didn’t seem... no, never mind.”

The Cardinal of Light, Yvon Jasna Dracrowa, expressed her disapproval in a tone that reflected the expression on her face. There was a suggestion to stop using titles of respect, but Yvon shot it down with a rebuke:

“It is natural to respect your elders.”

“Of course.”

This person responded quickly. It was true that honorifics were used only half the time at this gathering of Cardinals. This was done, of course, to foster greater fellowship.

“That's right... I'd also like to know how we plan to address this issue.”

“What should we do?”

The head of the Judiciary asked. Raymond replied:

“If the problems are due to our inability to save some people, then we should deal with them by helping them. First of all, there is the Draconic Kingdom. I believe that going to war with the beastmen is the right decision.”

“Oh, I see.”

The people around him shouted. According to their information, the Draconic Kingdom had been getting closer to the Sorcerous Kingdom diplomatically, and had even purchased magical items from them. If they allowed this to continue, the Theocracy's influence within the Draconic Kingdom would diminish, while the Sorcerous Kingdom would rise. This proposal could be a brilliant preventive measure. Still, there were many voices of concern.

“News of the war between the Sorcerous Kingdom and the Kingdom might spread if the adventurers we recruited from the Kingdom teleported to places beyond our surveillance. Wouldn't that expose our secret operations to the Sorcerous Kingdom? Isn't it safer to keep them within our borders for now?”

“In all likelihood, this will not be a problem. They would want others to have regrets about leaving the Kingdom, even after they had knowledge of what was going on. It is unlikely that such a person would ever want to work for such a cruel country. However, they might be able to get information through mind control magic.”

“Wait, wouldn't it be more problematic if the Sorcerous Kingdom were to discover that we were hiring magic casters who were capable of using teleportation magic?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“We've always used magical items to teleport, and the adventurers are likely to see the truth when what they see is different from what they're expecting to see. Who knows what information would leak out even if we put a gag order on them? It may be that it would be better for us not to show our hand to the Sorcerous Kingdom just yet.”

Ginedine Delan Guelfi, Cardinal of Water, coughed several times before his speech.

“Hmm, excuse me. I understand your reasoning, but isn't it true that if we show our hand to our opponents, they'll be more careful not to act recklessly? This is exactly the way that I feel about it.”

“Although I agree with Sensei, the existence of someone like the Tri-Arts Magic Caster should make us less worried about using teleportation magic.”

“Sigh, but how many people would know about that? ’What kind of magic is the great magic caster of the Empire capable of?’ is a question that even we don’t know the answer to, isn’t it?”

“Someone of his caliber wouldn't be interested in learning about the magic of teleportation in the first place.”

Ideas of all kinds were proposed. If this continued, Pontifex Maximus felt that they would not be able to come to a decision, so he decided on a simple vote. As a result, it was decided that the adventurers would be sent to help the Draconic Kingdom. However, in the eyes of the Theocracy, the recruited adventurers were tantamount to mercenaries, as it was difficult to determine where their loyalties lay. Those present at the meeting agreed that it would be fine if they chose to remain in the Draconic Kingdom. After all, preventing strong humans from dying in vain was the reason for rescuing them from the kingdom.

“If we are able to perfect the technique of creating spell scrolls at the 5th tier and above, even the magic of teleportation will be readily available to us.”

“But despite centuries of work, there is no progress, not even the slightest progress. The Theocracy has the production methods for 1st to 4th tier scrolls that the neighboring countries do not know about. This is just one of the many hidden methods we have. In order to protect humanity and defeat races that are born superior to humanity, we have developed these techniques over time. Although we still need to do more research to improve its cost-effectiveness, we've even created the God's Blood Restoration Potion.”

“But why would the Sorcerer King order such an atrocity to be committed? Even if the supplies were stolen on their way to the Holy Kingdom, this was an overreaction. What is the military's opinion on the matter?”

“The first reason for this is to scare the people.”

The Grand Marshal gestured with a finger. Several heads nodded in agreement.

“The second is that the Sorcerer King is, after all, an undead being.”

“‘He has a deep-seated hatred for the living that controls him.’  Some may believe so, but I disagree. Even if we were to assume that he was waiting for the right time to go to war, having observed him for a long time would tell us otherwise.”

“For those of us in the military, we think it is extremely unlikely that his motives are that simple.”

The Grand Marshal said sternly. After this meeting, the others would most certainly have no end of complaints about him:

“Posturing.”

“Trying to imitate Raymond.”

Or that:

“He has no understanding of the fact that there is a time and a place for everything.”

“Uh, well, the most likely reason is...”

Raising his third finger, he said:

“To create a natural spawning ground for undead, similar to the Katze Plains.”

“That is possible.”

Someone muttered something. The Slaine Theocracy had an abundance of divine magic casters, so the highest echelon present understood exactly what the Grand Marshal meant. The Sorcerer King's plan was most likely to continue the expansion of this Unholy Land into the indefinite future and to absorb any undeads that were created there into his kingdom. One exception was the Sorcerer King, himself an undead. There had been rumors that he was in control of the Katze Plains. It was possible that he had received something from there that had caused him to do this.

“If this is the case, we can predict their next move.”

“Why are you so certain?”

“To maintain a clear line of division between the Unholy Lands and the Council State. After that, the Unholy Lands will act as a barrier between the Sorcerous Kingdom and the Council State. After that...”

“Then they will shift their focus to dealing with us...?”

There was a deafening silence in the room. All the members present compared the Sorcerous Kingdom, especially in terms of military power, to their own country. Everyone looked dejected. No one could keep their cool. The reaction was understandable, given the intelligence report they had received about the Sorcerous Kingdom during their previous meeting. 

The undeniable overwhelming and malevolent power of the Sorcerous Kingdom was demonstrated in the battle on the Katze Plains between the Sorcerous Kingdom and the Kingdom. Even for the Theocracy's trump card, the Black Scripture, and its God-Kin members, the Sorcerous Kingdom was extremely difficult to deal with. Moreover, the true power of the Sorcerous Kingdom remained unknown. The more they looked into it, the more it seemed as if they were staring into a dark, bottomless abyss.

“There would not be enough soldiers. So we have to form a broad alliance with the Council State, huh...”

“That's correct. Then, whenever we are in need of reinforcements, we will be able to have them!”

Everyone grinned sarcastically. Reinforcements that could save the Theocracy would never be sent. That much was obvious. True cooperation between states with opposing goals and ideals was impossible. If an alliance was formed, some reinforcements could be expected, but the Platinum Dragon Lord himself would not come to their aid. 

If either the Theocracy or the Council State were to fall, the full power of the Sorcerous Kingdom would be unleashed on the nation that had not yet been affected.

To avoid this, they should cooperate fully and pool their resources against the Sorcerous Kingdom. But suppose the Alliance invades and defeats the Sorcerous Kingdom. What would happen next? Needless to say, the two countries would once again begin to look at each other as potential enemies. 

It would be easy to imagine that in the aftermath of such a war, the people of the former Sorcerous Kingdom would flock in droves to the two victorious nations. And as their populations grew, their war of espionage would become even more intense.

Even if an alliance was formed, complete and mutual trust would never be achieved. In reality, they should only consider this option if it meant total victory for the Theocracy. If war broke out between the Theocracy and the Sorcerous Kingdom, both nations would be severely weakened. 

The only beneficiary would be the Council State. The ideal situation would be for all three countries to stand firm against each other, but that would require a more even balance of power.

“It would not be a bad idea to submit to the Sorcerous Kingdom. We could work behind the scenes for decades or centuries until they crumble from within. It would also give us a better understanding of the internal affairs of the Sorcerous Kingdom.”

“The Empire also became a vassal, so it's not entirely impossible. And given the way the Empire has been treated, it's not a bad option either.”

“But if we do this, will our citizens be willing to accept it?”

“It would be extremely difficult to get them to accept it. There would be riots if a wrong step was taken.”

“Simply label them as fools.”

“Hey, that's a little far-fetched. Keep it as a last resort. In the first place, the citizens, as opposed to us, do not have access to all of this information.”

“Should we reveal all we know about the Sorcerous Kingdom? Aren't we keeping it under wraps now because of the trouble it has caused in the past?”

“Stop arguing. Didn't the Sorcerous Kingdom have to spend a lot of time on the pacification and administration of its people after the establishment of its capital? So this matter, as well as others that we will have to take into consideration in the future, will be time-consuming—”

“—No, we can't be so sure. After all, the Sorcerous Kingdom has destroyed numerous towns and villages.”

Since the capital was densely populated, it was unlikely that they had all been killed. However, nothing was impossible for the Sorcerous Kingdom.

“Undead with a hatred for the living, huh?”

“We have let our guard down, because there hasn't been any unnecessary killing at E-Rantel, has there?”

“The Empire is now a vassal. They have interfered in the affairs of the Holy Kingdom and the Draconic Kingdom, and they have now made a fool of the Kingdom. At this rate, there will be no easy way out for us. 'Submit or die,' huh? What a cliché, but we have to make a decision. If we're going to deal with the Sorcerous Kingdom, we're going to have to deal with one of our own first.”

“Hmm. We must get rid of that old, corrupt Elf as soon as possible. Even though our future relationship with the Sorcerous Kingdom is still unclear, we cannot think about fighting two wars at the same time.”

Considerable efforts were made to eradicate the Elf Country even before the Sorcerous Kingdom was founded. Therefore, they did not make serious efforts to establish friendly relations with the Sorcerous Kingdom.

“Given their overwhelming military power, confronting the Sorcerous Kingdom is the worst possible scenario. However, we would prefer to resolve it as soon as possible, as it is our responsibility to plan for the worst-case scenario.”

“It is unlikely that the Sorcerous Kingdom will interfere while they make their moves in the Kingdom, but depending on how the situation develops, they may still try to hinder us. I can almost imagine them pretending that the undeads are naturally spawning near our border. We must take some precautions to prepare for that possibility.”

“Yes, but we also have to ensure the future of the human race, even if it is just a few of us.”

Some of them nodded in admiration.

“Allow some people to flee and seek refuge. They will be the last remnants of our hope, or should I say despair.”

Outside of the Theocracy, there was no land to rely on, but they were not asked to become nomads. Outside its borders, the Theocracy had a sanctuary. It was not a legendary place, but a place where humans had lived 600 years ago. A home for the human species that had known only fear and flee. It was guarded by the Ashen Dust Scripture, one of the Six Scriptures.

[Note: “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” according to the Bible.]

“We cannot stand still. We have to keep on trying to survive. Should we each choose one to represent us and let that person decide for us?”

“Shouldn't Lauransan-sama be the only survivor?”

“What?”

“As a former member of the Black Scripture, shouldn't you be the one to protect and guide those who remain if we are annihilated?”

“I can't be compared to who I used to be. People are unlikely to trust someone who will not fight to the end or who is not at the top of our organization.”

“But—”

“No—”

“I was thinking—”

As the debate heated up, Pontifex Maximus finally spoke.

“There is no point in arguing here. No matter how important it is, this is not the time for that debate.”

No one objected.

“Right. Then let's get down to business. We can let these elves go, but we must use our momentum to track down the Wicked Elf King.”

With visceral hatred on his face, Pontifex Maximus seemed to be a completely different person. Raymond agreed with a nod.

“Allow Zesshi Zetsumei to come to a decision.”

“Hm. Even if the Platinum Dragon Lord already knew that the child would leave, it is unlikely that he would kill her under the current circumstances. Personally, I think that the Elf King should experience all the world's pain before being executed. The happiness of the child must come first. I'm counting on all of you!”

“Understood.”